dexter



(No Model.) 2Sheets-Sheet 1.

A. I. DEXTER.

REFRIGERATOR BUILDING. No. 371,180. Patented Oct. 11,1887.

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'(No ModeL) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. A. I. DEXTER.

REFRIGERATOR BUILDING. No. 371,180. Patented Oct. 11, 1887.

UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AVELYN I. DEXTER, OF \VHITEWVATER, YVISCONSIN.

REFRIGERATOR-BUILDING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 371,180, dated October11, 1887.

Application filrd May 26, 1887. Serial No. 239,430. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AVELYN I. DEXTER, of \Vhitewater, in the county ofWalworth and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Refrigerator-Buildings; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of said invention,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters orfigures of reference marked thereon, which form apart of thisspecification.

My invention relates to improvements in refrigerators; and it pertainsmore especially to that class which, when formed on a large scale,comprises the several stories of a build- The several more importantobjects of my invention are as follows: first, to provide for coolingthe several lower rooms or apartments below the icechamber through a me-.tallic wall or other conductor without permitting the cold air to entersuch apartmentfrom the ice-chamber; second, to provide devices by meansof which the course of the cold air as it descends from the ice-chambermay be conducted to and cool the first apartment below withoutcoolingthe other apartments, or, if desired, conducted to all the apartmentsbelow the ice chamber; third, the combina; tion and arrangement ofcold-air ducts and cutoff slides by which the cold air may be caused topass from the cooling-walls of the system proper to adjoining side roomsformed in combination therewith, whereby said side rooms may be cooledby direct contact with the cold air; fourth, the combination andarrangement, with this system. of a chemical refrigerator for condensingmoisture in all the apartments below the ice chamber, and the system ofducts and pipes by which the moisture thus condensed is conducted fromthe refrigerator.

The construction of my invention is further explained by reference tothe accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a verticalsection thereof. Fig. 2 also represents a vertical section drawn atright angles to that shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a verticalsection of one of the air-regulating slides, several of which areprovided in each apartment. Fig. 4 represents a top view of one of theair-regulating slides shown in Fig. 3.

Like parts are represented by the same reference-letters throughout theseveral views.

A represents the ice-chamber located in the upper story of the building,in which a large quantity of ice is stored away during thewinter monthsand permitted to remain for the purpose of cooling the lower apartments,B and O, of the refrigerator during the warmer season of the year.

D D are thewalls of the refrigerator proper, which are provided withnon-circulating airspaces D, which serve to prevent the transmission ofheat or cold through the wall.

The cold air from the chamber A, in passing to the lower apartments, Band C, descends through the coldair ducts E E, which are formed betweenthe walls X and the metallic cooling-walls F upon one or all of theseveral sides of such apartments, whereby a very low temperature isproduced in said rooms B and 0 without permitting the circulation of airthrough them. When the cold air which has descended through the duct Eto the lower apartments becomes slightly warm, it passes up through theair-duct Gbetween the walls X .and D and escapes from .thence throughthe air-passage G into the top of the icechamber 'A. Thus the air iscaused to continuously circulate from the ice-chamber to and from thecooling-walls of the lower apartments, whereby a low temperature ismaintained in said lower apartments. When desirous to shut off the coldair from both of the lower apartuients,B and G, entirely, the upperslides H H are pushed inward, whereby the downward passages E E areclosed and the cold air is excluded. If, however, it is desirous to coolthe apartment B without cooling the apartment 0, the upper slides H Hare drawn outward in the position shown in Fig. 1, and the lower slidesH H are pushed inward in the position shown, whereby the cold airdescends to the bottom of the apartment B only, and is arrested at suchpoint by lower slides H H, when, as it rises in temperature, it passesfrom the air-duet E through the opening J, above the lower slide H, andfrom thence upward, returning to the icechamber through the passage G.Thus itis obvious that by the use of the slides H, I am enabledto eitherexclude the cold air entirely from the store-rooms or apartments B and Cor to conduct it to either one or both of them, as may be desired.'

The metallic cooling-walls F are provided at short intervals withhorizontally-arranged troughs K, which serve to catch moisture, whichcondenses in drops of water as it descends upon the surface of saidwalls and conducts it through the ducts L from the building. The ducts Lare provided with hydraulic traps M between the several apartments,which, while they permit the water to descend through said ducts L,prevent the air from circulating through said pipes or ducts from oneapartment to another.

As an additional means for carrying off the accumulation of moisturefrom the store rooms, I have provided a chemical refrigerator oraparatus by which the moisture in the room is first caused to congealupon the exterior surfaces of a series of cold-air pipes,wheu it ismelted, as hereinafter described,and conducted from the refrigerator.

A represents the series of cold-air pipes, located in one ofthestore-rooms of the refrigerator. Two or more may, however, beemployed, as circumstances require. The series of pipes A are connectedwith the chemical refrigerator or ice-receptacle B by the cold air duct0. the temperatu rein the refrigerator, salt andice may be employed inthe refrigerator B. The coldproducedin the refrigerator Bpasses downthrough the pipes O to the series of pipes A. The series rofpipes A areconnected together at their'respective ends in the ordinary manner bythe horizontal pipes at a, whereby the cold air or water, as the casemay be, in descending from the refrigerator or receptacle B, passesthrough all of said pipes in the series A, and from thence out throughthe last pipe in said series, and is discharged above the tank E. Vaterthus accumulating in the tank E is conducted therefrom through" thedischargepipe F. The series of pipes A aresurrounded by an air-tightinclosure, G, which inclosu re is provided with closely fitting doors HH. While congealing the moisture upon the pipes A the doors HH arethrown open, so that the moisture in the apartment may accumulate andcongeal upon said series of pipes A. When, however, the moisture hasthusbeen congealed upon the pipes A, the doors H H are closed and thestop cock I in the pipe 0 is also closed. This being done, the cold airfrom the refrigerator is excluded from the inclosure G and the pipes A,when the ice which has been accumulated upon the pipes A melts and flowsfrom the surface of said pipes into the tank and from thence it isconducted through the pipe F away from the refrigerator or building.This process of congealing moisture may be repeated as often ascircumstances may require, and the apparatus shown and de- As aconvenient method of lowering scribed may *be located in any or all ofthe several apartments of the building.

J is a cock which is connected with the se ries of pipes A, which isprovided for carrying off the accu mulations of water from the series ofpipes A, water from said pipes being discharged therefrom into said tankE.

As a means for ventilating the several apartments orstore-rooms oftherefrigerator,I have provided the air-pipe K, the upper end of which islocated above the building and is provided with a funnel shaped nozzle,L, through which the air enters said pipe K, and passes down throughsaid pipe and is dis charged in such apartmentsas may be desired throughthe passages M. The passages M are provided with slides N, by which theescaping of air therefrom is controlled. The pipe K passes through theice-chamber A in its way to the several apartments to beventilated,whereby the air in said pipe K, is cooled and caused todescend and be discharged into said lower apartments, while fresh air isthereby caused to flow into said pipe K,at its upper end. To facilitateand promote the circulation of air through the pipe K, the inletnozzle Lis provided with a vane, O, and is mounted upon a'rotatingsupport,whereby the mouth of said nozzle L is retained toward the windand tilt; downward current of the air through said pipe K is promoted.When thus ventilating the lower apartments, it becomes necessary to opena communication from them to the exterior air.

A A shown in Fig. 2) represent the exterior air-passage, from which thefresh air which enters through the pipe K escapes from the apartments Band O. V

- B, G, and D" are side store'rooms used in combination with .myrefrigerator proper, and are cooled and ventilated by the air which hasfirst passed through or around the refrigerator proper, as indicated byarrows. I

\Vhen desirous to cool the room D, the slides J are opened, as shown inFig. 1, and the slide G is closed,when the cold air passes down throughthe duct Eaud enters the apartment D" through the passage H, and fromthence out through the passage 1, returning to'the ice-chamber A throughthe passage G.

Cold air-is in like manner conducted to and from the apartment B throughpassages H and I; also, when desirous to cool the apartment 0, theslides J J of such apartment are 0, when it flows therefrom along theupper surface of the metallic roof 1?" and escapes therefrom through thetrough R to one of the discharge-pipes L.

The several series of slides H (shown in the enlarged views in Figs. 3and 4) consist of the horizontal plate 6, which serves to control thecourse of the air through the vertical air-passages E and G, and thevertical plate d, which serves to control the passage of air through theducts J, formed in the partition X be tween the passages Eand G. Thus itis obvious that when the slide H is in the position shown in Fig. 3 thedownward current of air in the passage E is closed by the plate 1),whereby the air is caused to take an upward course, as indicated by thecurved arrow in Fig. 3, from the passage E up through the passage G.When, however, the slide H is drawn out, the vertical plate (I closesthe passage J, whereby the air is prevented from en tering said upwardpassage G, but instead is permitted to continue on down through theopening 9 to the lower apartments of the building, when it passes up inrear of the vertical plate d, whereby it is obvious that the current ofair may be controlled in its course to either one or both of thestore-rooms, as stated.

The pipe K is provided with a damper, a, of ordinary construction, bywhich the downward current of air in said pipe is controlled or excludedat will.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a refrigerator having an ice-chamber, one or more store-rooms orapartments located below said ice-chamber, and non conducting exteriorwalls, the combination, with the exterior walls of said apartment, ofasheet-metal cooling wall or partition located at a slight distance fromsaid exterior walls, and an intermediate wall or partition locatedbetween said sheet-metal cooling-walls and said exterior walls, therebyforming both downward and upward dues or air-passages between saidsheet-metal cooling-wall and the exterior walls. through which passagescold air is conducted from the icechamber downward in one passage alongsaid cooling-walls of the several apartments and returned through theother passages to said icechamber as its tempera ture is raised, wherebythe several apartments located below the ice-chamber are cooledindirectly by said cold air through said sheetmetal cooling-wall withoutpermitting the air to enter said apartments, substantial] y as and forthe purpose'specified.

2. The combination, in a refrigerator having an ice-chamber and one ormorestorerooms inclosed by non-conducting exterior walls, of metalliccoolingwalls located near the exterior walls of the several lowerapartments, forming cold-air spaces commnnicat ing from said ice chamberaround said lower apartments within their inclosed walls, one or moredrip-troughs affixed to the inner surface of said coolingwalls, and adischarge-pipe, with which the discharging ends of said driptroughscommunicate, whereby the accumulation of moisture upon the interior ofsaid cooling-walls is conducted from the several apartments providedwith said cooling-walls, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. The combination, in a refrigerator having an'ice-chamber, A, and oneor more storerooms, B and G, inclosed by non-conducting exterior walls,of a metallic cooling-wall, F, an intermediate wall or partition, X,located between said cooling-wall and the inolosingwall, one or moredues or air-passages, J, formed in said partition X, and slide H, havinghorizontal. plate b and vertical plate (I, said plate I) being adapted,when the slide is pushed rearward. to close the air-space between saidwall X and the cooling-wall. and said plate (I being adapted, when saidslide is drawn out, to close said passage J, whereby the downward andupward current of air from said ice-box to and from said store-rooms iscontrolled, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. The combination,in a refrigeratorhaving an ice-chamber and one ormore store-rooms or apartments located below said ice-chamber, of theventilating-pipe K, protruding at its upper end through the roof orupper wall of the refrigerator and extending downward through theicechamber and from thence to the several apartments to be ventilated,passages M,commnnicating from said ventilatingpipe K with the severalapartments, slides N, closing said passages M, damper or cut-off a,located in said pipe K near its upper end and adapted to control theadmission of air through said pipe, discharge-nozzle O", and trap N,through which trap the water condensing in said pipe K is discharged,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. The combination, in a refrigerator having an ice-chamber and one ormore store-rooms located beneath the same provided with nonconductingexterior walls and a metallic cooling-wall located at a slight distancefrom said exterior walls, thereby forming cold air spaces ICC IIO

between said cooling-wall and said exterior walls for the admission ofcold air, of one or more secondary adjoining apartments B, C, and D,provided, respectively, at their lower ends with inlet cold air passagesH, communicating with the coldair space of the refrigerator proper, andat their upper ends with outlet airpassages l, communicating with theice-chamber A, said lower and upper passages, Hand I", being providedwith air-controlling valve-slides J, by which arrangement of theapartments said secondary or adjoining apartments may be cooled bydirect contact with the air from the cold-air spaces of therefrigeratorproper, while the air thus circulating serves to cool the store -roomsof the refrigerator upper part of said secondary store-rooms and withthe exterior air, said inlet and outlet ducts I5 being respectivelyprovided with slides or doors by which the admission and escape of theair thereto are controlled, substantially as and for the purposespecified.

In testimony whereofI affix my signature in 20 presence of twoWitnesses.

AVELYN l. DEXTER. XVitnesses:

GEO. XV. STEELE, T. D. WEEKS.

